Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope

Can You Forgive Her? is a novel by Anthony Trollope, first published in serial form in 1864 and 1865. It is the first of six novels in the "Palliser" series.The main plot revolves around the marriage choices of Alice Vavasor. The satirical periodical Punch mocked the work, referring to it as Can You Stand Her? due to its irritation with Alice's inepititude in deciding between her two suitors. (Moreover, in his book On Writing, Stephen King makes light of the book's length, joking that a more appropriate title might be Can You Possibly Finish It?)Early on, Alice asks the question "What should a woman do with her life?" This theme repeats itself in the dilemmas faced by other female characters in the novel.Over the course of the novel, Alice befriends Lady Glencora and Plantagenet Palliser, characters who recur in the remainder of the series.